Palace of Wax in Grand Prairie, TX

The Palace of Wax is a museum filled with over 200 life-like wax characters.  As you can see by the pictures, they have many different types of wax characters.  There are politicians, historical characters, movie stars, talk show hosts, storybook characters, religious figures, etc. 

We enjoyed our visit.  The figures look so real that my youngest got scared by a few.  You could spend a lot of time in this museum looking at all of the details.  I wish I could have stayed longer.  I really enjoyed it.  My youngest was anxious to get away from the wax people because they were too life-like.  If I had gone without her, I would have spent more time enjoying the art work.  It is really incredible!

Cost:

Adult (age 13 and up)= $16.99*

Child (age 4-12)= $8.99*

Child 3 and under= FREE

 *There are 3 other attractions at this location so there are bundling pricing options as well.  I will be posting about the other 3 attractions over the next few days.

**All opinions expressed herein are my own, and I have not received any monetary or other gift for a positive review.  We were invited to spend the day at the 4 attractions expenses paid, and we have been given tickets for a giveaway!   The tickets will be given away this month, so stay tuned!

Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, TX

The Fort Worth Zoo is home to many animals from all around the world.  This zoo is quite large and requires a lot of walking.  You will want to bring a stroller or wagon for the youngest kids.  There is so much to see and do!

Our favorite exhibit was the World of Primates where we saw a cute baby bonobo.  The family interaction between the bonobos was endearing and had human similarities.  The baby was playful and the males played with him until they got tired.  The mom protected the baby when he fell from a rock, and steered him away from danger.  We could have watched this family all day.

The other exhibits they have include: Texas Wild!, Parrot Paradise, Raptor Canyon, African Savannah, Cheetahs, Flamingo Bay, Meerkat Mounds, Australian Outback, Penguins, Museum of Living Art and Asian Falls. 

Texas Wild! is an area full of family friendly adventures.  The petting zoo has a calf, a rooster, and a pig.  The play barn has things to climb and interactive learning games.  A shooting gallery is in this same exhibit along with a carousel.  Some of the attractions cost extra, so plan accordingly. 

To get from one side of the zoo to the other, you can walk... or you can jump aboard the Yellow Rose Express Train.  The ride is $2 per person per ride, so $4 per person round trip.  We took the train to Texas Wild! and then we walked back. 

A 25-foot rock climbing wall called Tasmanian Tower is in the Australian Outback.  It is $3 to climb, and you must sign a liability release form. 

Some of the animals in this zoo are ones I have never seen before.  This zoo is home to close to 7,000 animals.  We didn't even have time to see them all!! 

As far as zoos go, this is one of the best zoos in the country.  It is definitely worth the trip. 

Cost:

Adult= $12

Child 3-12= $9

Child under 3= FREE

Parking= $5

Heard Museum in McKinney, TX

The Heard Museum in Mckinney is a mixture of zoo, preserve and museum in one.  One of the most exciting features about the Heard is their Animals of the World exhibit.  This exhibit features animals such as the Capybara, the Macaw, the Cockatoo, the mongoose, the opossum, the raccoon, the lemur, the deer and more!  During the year, they have child friendly events where you can even meet the animals up close. 

Starting June 1 until September 30, a beautiful butterfly garden comes to life!  This exhibit is worth the visit all by itself.  The butterflies are plentiful and fun to watch flutter around.  Some are inside a mesh enclosure and others are outside of the mesh with the rest of the garden.  The flowers are gorgeous when in bloom, and you can usually get some pretty good photos in this area. 

The kids like the dinosaur dig that is found inside the museum.  It is like a gigantic sand box.  In the Summer there are plenty of "friends" to play with.

Starting October 2 and running until February 3, Dinosaur Live comes back to the Heard.  This is a great exhibit for dinosaur lovers.  There are enormous animated dinosaurs all over the trails on the outside of the museum.  The T-Rex is 46 feet tall!  I don't want to spoil the fun for you, but one of the dinosaurs will be ready to surprise you, so watch out!! 

Many families come to the Heard just for the nature trails.  There are a total of 8 nature trails around the museum.  Along the way there are birds, squirrels, ducks, and other wildlife to spot.  You can really burn calories here as many of the trails are many miles long. 

Cost:

Adults= $9

Children ages 3-12= $6